S4 Engineering delivered a comprehensive solution for a major Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) client in the East of England, involving the installation of six 50m³ liquid storage tanks and a sophisticated distribution system with plant dosing automation. This case study details the project scope, challenges, and successful implementation.
The brief: Remove old tank farm and replace with new, adding additional product with minimal interruption to operations
A large Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) customer in the East of England needed us to install liquid storage tanks along with an advanced distribution system. As well as removing their existing system with uninterrupted production for their business, this new system needed to accommodate a 2nd, alternative product to move with industry developments.
The solution: Design, fabrication, and installation of new tank farm
- Six 50m3 stainless steel storage tanks with trace heating
- Access gantry
- Additional 2nd product added for use across the factory
- Full distribution system with data tracking
- Plant dosing automation
- Integration with current system
- Removal of old processing equipment
- Pipework enhancements
- Road tanker fill points
Our team designed, fabricated and installed six 50m³ liquid storage tanks, with 3 tanks per product, introducing an alternative product to keep up with industry trends. To support this, a full distribution system was installed with plant dosing automation and comprehensive data tracking, while keeping the same look and feel of the existing system to remove the need for re-training.
The new system also provided distribution to various points within the factory. This required breaking into existing lines and modifying pipework to enhance flexibility for the production team. New control panels were added where required, and the recipe management was fully integrated with the current system to ensure uninterrupted user experience.
This project included the removal of the old system and a smooth changeover to the new system, achieved without any operational downtime by working evenings and weekends.
The result: Successfully switched to a more reliable system without downtime
The result for the customer was a more reliable and flexible distribution of product. Capacity was kept the same but production could now run more smoothly, with two product variants, and improved data tracking, control and reliability. The big win for the customer was knowing they could receive their upgrade while continuing business as usual throughout the installation process.
